Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ Stake Cut by Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc.

Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. reduced its holdings in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) by 2.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 537,659 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after selling 12,113 shares during the period. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $21,899,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Secured Retirement Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 9.0% during the 4th quarter. Secured Retirement Advisors LLC now owns 10,113 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $412,000 after purchasing an additional 832 shares in the last quarter. Sigma Planning Corp raised its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 13.8% in the 4th quarter. Sigma Planning Corp now owns 193,509 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $7,876,000 after acquiring an additional 23,449 shares in the last quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 3.7% in the 4th quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 43,046 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $1,753,000 after acquiring an additional 1,541 shares in the last quarter. Verity Asset Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 1.9% in the 4th quarter. Verity Asset Management Inc. now owns 19,279 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $785,000 after acquiring an additional 363 shares in the last quarter. Finally, WoodTrust Financial Corp increased its position in Verizon Communications by 14.3% in the 4th quarter. WoodTrust Financial Corp now owns 7,438 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $303,000 after buying an additional 933 shares during the period. 62.06% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Verizon Communications Stock Up 3.0%

Shares of Verizon Communications stock opened at $48.01 on Friday. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 1 year low of $38.39 and a 1 year high of $51.68. The business has a 50-day moving average of $48.94 and a two-hundred day moving average of $44.00. The company has a market capitalization of $200.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.98 and a beta of 0.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38, a current ratio of 0.64 and a quick ratio of 0.87.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.21 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $34.44 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $34.82 billion. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.25% and a net margin of 12.46%.Verizon Communications’s quarterly revenue was up 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.19 earnings per share. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.950-4.990 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.96 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Mary-Lee Stillwell sold 8,569 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.00, for a total value of $428,450.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 43,782 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,189,100. This trade represents a 16.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Joseph J. Russo sold 9,579 shares of Verizon Communications stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.88, for a total value of $429,905.52. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 44,045 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,976,739.60. The trade was a 17.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 218,148 shares of company stock valued at $10,780,356 over the last three months. Insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

VZ has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and issued a $48.00 price target on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Citigroup lifted their price target on Verizon Communications from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, March 20th. Dbs Bank lowered Verizon Communications from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Evercore boosted their price target on Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, William Blair raised Verizon Communications to an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $50.59.

Verizon Communications News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Verizon Communications this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results showed an EPS beat and management described a turnaround with stronger profitability and postpaid phone subscriber gains — the core catalyst for the rally. Verizon CEO Claims Turnaround Is Officially Underway
• Positive Sentiment: Promotional push delivered ~55K new wireless subscribers and Verizon raised FY‑26 profit guidance, directly improving near‑term revenue and margin outlook. Verizon’s promos lead to 55K new wireless subscribers; raises FY26 profit guidance
• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its price target on VZ to $52 (maintaining a Neutral rating), signaling modest upside from current levels and lending analyst support to the move higher. Benzinga
• Positive Sentiment: Consumer perks — bundled/discounted streaming offers — are likely helping acquisition and retention trends, supporting ARPU and churn improvements. Verizon’s Streaming Deals Let You Watch Netflix, Disney Plus and More, for Less
• Neutral Sentiment: Cydcor, a Verizon channel partner, won Verizon’s 2025 ACD Wireless Agent of the Year award — a positive PR/partner win but limited direct impact on VZ fundamentals. Cydcor Earns Verizon’s 2025 ACD Wireless Agent of the Year Award
• Neutral Sentiment: Small analyst tweak: Erste Group trimmed FY‑2027 EPS slightly (from $5.28 to $5.26) but keeps a Strong‑Buy — little near‑term impact given the tiny change. MarketBeat / Erste Group note
• Neutral Sentiment: Several valuation and analyst-opinion pieces revisit VZ after the Q1 surprise; useful for longer‑term positioning but not immediate catalysts. A Look At Verizon (VZ) Valuation After Strong Q1 Earnings And Subscriber Turnaround
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts and commentators warn that rising total debt after the Frontier acquisition could pressure income investors and increase financial risk — this is the main structural downside investors cite. The Ticking Time Bomb That Could Force Income Investors to Sell Verizon Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Competitor OXIO hired a former Verizon executive as CCO — a small talent/competitive signal that could matter in niche TaaS segments but is unlikely to shift overall VZ fundamentals. OXIO Appoints Former Verizon Executive Jeremy Bolton as Chief Commercial Officer

About Verizon Communications

Verizon Communications Inc (NYSE: VZ) is a major U.S.-based telecommunications company that provides a broad range of communications and information services. Its operations span consumer and business markets, with core offerings that include wireless voice and data services, fixed-line broadband and fiber-optic services, and enterprise networking solutions. Verizon is headquartered in New York City and operates a nationwide wireless network that supports consumer subscribers as well as business and government customers.

The company’s consumer products include mobile phone plans, unlimited data services, and Fios, its branded fiber-optic internet, television and voice service for homes and small businesses.